1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment for baseball and softball fields. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide a double-sided home plate configured with an upper home plate and an opposing lower home plate, such that a first home plate can be used and then replaced by flipping the device over to reveal a second playing surface for use.
2. Description of Related Art
The home plate is one of the most recognized parts of a baseball and softball field, with the area surrounding home plate being the main focus of every ball game. Compared with the other bases, 1st, 2nd and 3rd base, the home plate is set into the ground such that its top surface is level with the ground. The overall pentagonal shape also aides in its uniqueness. Every batter that “steps up to the plate” hopes to ultimately cross it by scoring a run, while every catcher crouches behind the home plate to receive each pitch of the game. Home plates are also commonly used in bullpens.
Since the area of the home plate, including the batter's box, is constantly in contact with players during use, it is important to provide a home plate that is sufficiently durable to withstand the constant contact of players on the ball field. As with any object exposed to constant wear, home plates need constant replacement. The consistent exposure to the elements and to the rough interaction with baseball and softball cleats causes the surface of the home plate to wear and degrade over time. In response, home plates have evolved and have been developed in attempts to provide a safe, durable surface that is easy to replace or change when home plates become too worn for use.
When baseball first began, the home plate was comprised of stone or wood to mark the 4th and final base. However, players soon realized that falling or sliding on such a surface had a high risk of injury. Rubber soon replaced stone and wood and is largely the material still used in most home plates today. While the material of the home plate has not changed much over recent years, there have been many attempts at improving how the home plate is secured in the ground and providing a surface that can quickly be changed.
To ensure the home plate does not come loose during a game, and remains in place for several games, an anchoring system for the home plate can be used. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,557 entitled “Baseball Base and Anchor,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes an anchor that is placed and secured in the ground and connects to the anchor plate on the underside of the home plate. Though home plates secured in this way provide a stable structure, to reposition or adjust the base, the user must also reposition and adjust the anchor. Additionally, when a base needs replacing, the entire base, with the anchor plate, typically needs to be replaced. This provides a home plate that is not efficient or cost-effective to replace.
In anchoring systems the plate is typically relatively thin. To provide a more efficient means of adjusting and removing the home plate, plates have been developed with a substantial thickness so that the clay or dirt packed around the base is enough to secure it in place without an anchor. While a home plate without an anchor makes the base easier to remove, it still does not solve the problem of needing to replace the entire base once it shows signs of wear.
Some home plates provide a means of replacing just the surface of the home plate, as opposed to the entire base, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,432 entitled “Home Plate with Up-Tight Bevel,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This design provides a home plate in which the top plate is removable from the base and is secured with the base by anchor posts. Though the top plate is removable for easy replacement, the anchoring system used to secure the top plate with the rest of the base comprises many pieces that can be lost or damaged over time, especially in an environment constantly exposed to the elements and impact forces from contact with players.
Additional home plates provide a base comprised of a single rubber construction providing an easy to remove and install home plate. Even further, some plates provide a means of replacing only the top plate so that the rest of the base can remain in the ground at all times. Such home plates do not require anchors as the top plate just sits in the rest of the base. Although these plates can provide an efficient means of replacing home base, over time dirt or clay will get under the top plate and between the top plate and its base, thereby creating an undesirable “unsafe” and/or uneven surface.
Additional efforts in the development of bases for baseball are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,138,273; 3,508,747; 3,572,705; 4,266,768; 4,448,414; 4,531,733; 4,591,154; and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20080194361; 20090124436; 20100210382; and 20100279802, which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Despite the attempts to make a home plate that is easy to install and replace and yet is durable and long lasting, the prior art has failed to provide a home plate with such characteristics. There is still a need for a home plate with a durable and long lasting base, wherein the home plate is configured to be installed in the ground and a first playing surface used, then removed and flipped over once the first playing surface is worn to provide a second, unused playing surface for use.